Even if you are the best driver on the planet, bottom line is that you are still human. Humans make mistakes, and it may not necessarily be yours.
I have been driving for many years now (and yes I have done some professional as well in the beginning but that does not mean that I am the best driver ever). When you drive a car, no matter what speed, you need to concentrate on the road because a small error by you can result in someones life. And in my opinion, the iPad is no where as important as someones life.
Yes, you do drive in a lane but you never can predict when the one in front might brake. Just recently, some old person floored his brakes and gave me the bird (why? no clue - I did nothing to him). Additionally, there is always a possibility that a dog (has happened to me), or a deer (has come in front multiple times) can cross out of the blue causing excessive braking.
Well thats assuming I am not aware of potential elements. For example my peripheral vision can still detect tail lights and braking on a car if there even is one anywhere remotely in front of me. Or as another example, my brain can still account for all possible interruption or potential impediments or any and all interventions that could occur while I am driving down a freeway. I am able to sense if "now is a good time to text" or not. I probably wouldn't text while navigating a busy intersection, but I might if I am cruising on a freeway by myself with nobody around.
Lets be honest, the freeway is usually empty and there are no cars around for miles. The road goes straight for miles. Its safe to look away for a moment here and there. The road isn't going anywhere. Small error shmerror.
If we were to put it in math terms, its would only increase the probability by only 1/10000000000000000th of a probability on any given event of using a device while driving.
There is no need to compare an iPad to someones life. The actual guaranteed loss of someones life was never actually in question, only the probability of the potential to make a mistake which could potentially further result in an accident which could result in a fatality increased by such a nominal amount that it pretty much means it didn't change anything and furthermore; the difference can only be expressed on a mass scale of manifestation, not on an individual situational level. You don't know if it was the concept of texting that did it, or if the person was just careless and it was bound to happen.
Its impossible to argue that the reason for the mistake was due to the actual texting or just the general lack of awareness in the person which would have led to an accident sooner or later.
For example I never even got close to getting in an accident. Ever. And I used to have an in dash flip out LCD Tv monitor on my dash.
I stopped watching when she swerved off the road. Just because that was a simulation of some retarded people doesn't mean that is normal or commonplace or applies to me. Nor should I have to suffer a blanket rule and watch my rearview from cops every time I want to change songs on my music player.
Nice post. I hope he learns something from it. 2 years ago I witnessed a horrible 14-15 car crash that resulted in a major accident and road blockage. Ironically, a cop was trying to merge on to the main highway with his lights and siren on. A woman felt the need to floor her brakes to allow this cop to go. Quite unfortunately, a trucker was behind her and obviously he crashed into her. Not sure if any major injuries or casualties were found but peoples lives were affected.
I really hope more cameras are installed to ticket people found driving with their knees (idiotic), texting while driving, or even using an iPad or such while driving.
So it seems it was the cop that was the cause of the crash. How did it get to blaming the iPad? People using iPads while driving don't kill people. People making mistakes kill people.
Hello Bobby... I'm assuming that you are purposely pushing buttons.... but for those who read this thread in months to come, and didn't get your irony....
The are two main problem with your logic. 1) You are assuming that all those others drivers around you are paying attention, and compensating for your inattention while you entertain yourself. But if your attention is not on the road, then how do you compensate for another driver's inattention? It is already extraordinary that you can put hundreds of cars, all travelling at 88 feet per second (28 metres per second) so close together so safely. There is of course a large margin of safety - people really are pretty good at anticipating potential problems and making decisions quickly to defuse the situation.
Of course this can only happen when the majority of drivers are paying attention to what is in front of them, and around them, and adjusting their trajectory accordingly. There is enough latitude for one or two stupid and inattentive drivers to be added to the mix. Usually. But what happens when two stupid and inattentive drivers happen to come together?
It has already been proven that just talking on cell phone (hands-free or other-wise) affects a driver's ability to maintain their lane position. That it takes an extra second or so to end a conversation and start thinking about a developing situation in front of you (not an emergency, just something you need to pay attention to.) If it's more than 88 feet / 28 metres away you have a good chance of avoiding it, less than 88 feet / 28 metres and chances are you won't even be thinking about it much by time you are there.
The second problem with your logic is that you make sweeping claims about what happens in countries outside the USA without any attempt to back them up. Can you cite any sources?
As a driver, I've been involved in one collision, luckily minor. Absolutely not my fault. If I had been 1% more attentive (and I was already 90%+ aware that something was developing ahead, and was stopping) I may have avoided the collision. If I had been 2% less attentive someone would have been seriously hurt (perhaps me!). [The other driver blew through a stop sign, across 6 lanes of traffic. Perhaps they were texting on an iPad?
By your statements, as long as I had maintained my lane I should have been OK, even with my eyes off the road ahead.
We are all reasonable people here.
I am in no position to argue that doing things while driving is safe. That would be ignoring the fact that some people have less mind-to-motor connection/ability than others and it would behoove us to make a rule against it and shun those who do it. But thats as far as I go.
My problem is with the overdone demonizing of it. I assure you I am not being ironic when I say that I believe it is too much when people react with attitudes like that.
You know me, I am all about encouraging positivity and discouraging fear-mongering and/or hatred in any unhealthy form.
Let us not forget freedom is important as well.
----------
Bobby, meet the
Dunning-Kruger Effect. It's here to kill you, and the unfortunate people who happy to be driving in your vicinity when the inevitable happens.
You fail to notice one important aspect of the Dunning-Kruger Effect which leads me to suspect that you suffer from it.
This pattern was seen in studies of skills as diverse as reading comprehension, operating a motor vehicle, and playing chess or tennis.
Kruger and Dunning proposed that, for a given skill, incompetent people will:
-tend to overestimate their own level of skill;
-fail to recognize genuine skill in others;
-fail to recognize the extremity of their inadequacy;
-recognize and acknowledge their own previous lack of skill, if they can be trained to substantially improve.
